Net Gain in Menswear

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Pro basketball star Chris Paul has ditched his Los Angeles Clippers jersey for a white denim outfit on billboards that have popped up around town.

Paul is the new face of the Summer 17 campaign for men’s online fashion retailer Five Four Group.

“Chris for us is not only a superstar athlete, but one of the more stand-up guys we’ve met in general,” said Andres Izquieta, co-founder, co-chief executive, and creative director. “He’s a family man, the president of the National Basketball Players (Association) and just a great model man for the Five Four members.”

The Carthay-based men’s clothing designer has an online subscription service that delivers two to three items a month to members for a fee. Dee Murthy, co-founder and co-chief executive, said millennial men are the company’s core market, with the average customer being a 28-year-old professional.

The pair’s friendship with Paul began shortly after he signed with the Clippers in 2011. Murthy said the all-star point guard contacted the company because he wanted to order some shirts the company had designed as an ode to the Clippers. He became a fan of the brand, and they met in person and struck up a friendship soon after.

Izquieta and Murthy said the timing was finally right for them to collaborate about the Summer 17 campaign.

The company launched a marketing campaign with outdoor, TV commercials, and digital ads this month.

Five Four began as a traditional wholesale and retail brand in 2002, but shifted to a subscription model about five years ago, Izquieta said. Members pay $60 a month to receive a clothing package that is chosen based on the season and a style profile they fill out.

Nonmembers can purchase individual items from Five Four’s online store, and members can purchase additional individual items online at a discounted rate.

“Men don’t like going to the mall, don’t like the process of shopping, and want accessible price points,” Izquieta said. “We also realized that traditional men’s e-commerce struggles to drive traffic and has a difficult time telling brand stories.”

Murthy said the company has about 100,000 subscribers and that it had $50 million in sales last year. It is projected to bring in more than $100 million in 2017, he added.

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